Surgical Services

Personalized, Expert Care You Can Trust

If you or a family member have been diagnosed with skin cancer, we understand how frightening this can be. Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers and accounts for nearly half of all cancers in the United States.

At Premier Dermatology, our experienced, collaborative team of board-certified dermatologists and fellowship-trained Mohs skin cancer surgeon combine the very latest in expert clinical knowledge and technology, with a comprehensive and compassionate approach to care. This allows us to offer our patients a personalized program of patient-centered care for all of those we treat.

Skin Cancer Diagnosis

To diagnose skin cancer, your Premier dermatologist will:

Thorough Examination

Conduct a thorough skin examination to determine whether your skin changes are likely to be skin cancer. Further testing may be needed to confirm that diagnosis.

Diagnosis

Take a skin biopsy by removing the suspicious-looking skin for lab testing. A biopsy can determine whether you have skin cancer and, if so, what type of skin cancer you have.

Treatment Options

If your doctor determines you have skin cancer, your board-certified Premier dermatologist will discuss all available treatment options.

Skin Cancer Treatments

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers

If you are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer, which make up the vast majority of skin cancers, your board-certified dermatologist will design a treatment plan specifically designed for you.

Treatment options include:

Mohs Surgery

Mohs surgery is the most precise and accurate technique for the removal of non-melanoma skin cancer. A saucer-shaped piece of tissue is removed and processed immediately on location for microscopic evaluation. Additional layers of tissue are removed as needed if any tumor remains after the initial stage. Once the cancer is removed, the defect in the skin is repaired. Mohs surgery affords a 99% cure rate while sparing the maximum amount of healthy tissue. It is not indicated for all skin cancers, but is used for recurrent or large lesions, as well as lesions in cosmetically or functionally important locations such as the nose, ears and lips.

Cryotherapy

Liquid nitrogen is applied to the growth with a spray device or cotton-tipped applicator. This freezes the tissue without requiring any cutting. This treatment is usually for pre-cancerous lesions and for the very earliest most superficial skin-cancer lesions. This treatment will result in some short-term blistering, and occasionally, long-term permanent discoloration leaving the skin white.

Scraping and Burning

This technique is usually reserved for small lesions generally not on the face. Local anesthesia is administered, the growth is gently scraped off with a tool with a sharp, ring-shaped tip, and then the tumor site is burned with a small needle.

Standard Excision

Standard Excision is the removal of a skin cancer along with some of the healthy skin tissue around it (margin). For this procedure, a local anesthetic is used to numb the area. After the cancerous area is removed, the incision is closed with stitches. If the incision is large, sometimes a skin graft or flap is required.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)

A chemical agent that reacts to light is applied to the growths and absorbed by the abnormal cells. Hours later, those medicated areas are activated by a strong light and the treatment selectively destroys abnormal cells while causing minimal damage to normal tissue. This treatment is best for precancerous and some types of superficial skin cancers.

Melanoma Skin Cancer

If you are diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer, the characteristics and depth of your melanoma will be factored into the type of treatment options recommended by your board-certified Premier dermatologist. Many patients diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer may require additional imaging, immuno-diagnostic testing, or lymph node biopsy of the tissue.

Fortunately, if you have been receiving regular skin checks, most melanoma skin cancers can be addressed with a wide excision by your Premier board-certified dermatologist. For this reason, it is recommended that you schedule an appointment for a skin check if you notice any changes in your skin.

For deeper melanoma lesions, a diagnosis on the biopsy sample itself can determine if a lymph node biopsy is required. If the cancer has spread to lymph nodes, your physician will refer you to a medical and possibly surgical oncologist for further treatment.